Assignment

As many Players most commonly tend to prefer one of these, two methods are allowed to create Characters : Attributes may be assigned randomly or by allocating a definite amount of points. The first way is quite hazardous but allows to create very strong Characters, if you're very lucky. It may also be used by those who don't want to emphasise on a specific Attribute or don't have any preconceived idea on their Character.

How to assign Attributes ?

Random Assignment

The Player rolls a Dice of twenty sides for each Attribute. The Level of an Attribute equals the unit number given by the D20 plus one.

For instance, a result of 20 from the Dice gives an Attribute Level of 1, as well as a result of 10. A result of 1 gives an Attribute Level of 2, etc.

Moreover, the Player is allowed to roll again, if he wants to, one D20 for one, and only one, of his Attributes, if the first Roll doesn't fit at all. However, he has to keep the second Roll, whatever should be the new Result. It is therefore quite hazardous to try and roll again when a result was already close to average or, let's say, not high enough to the Player's taste.

Admittedly, dear and discerning Reader, you'll have understood that a carefully used D10 would produce the exactly the same result but Zebra Island RPG's author, for aesthetic and biographical reasons, doesn't like D10, and if you fancy defending the D10, then prepare for a Fight ! - Seriously, the gaming system being based on D20, it is not necessary to bother using a D10 only to assign Attributes. 

The Allocation Method


The Character becomes one point for each of his or her Attributes and 38 points, which he can freely allocate among all of them until a maximum Level of 10 for each. That means that no Attribute can have a null Level.


To end it up, let's add that a Character created using the Random Method will have on average a few more points than a Character created using the Allocation Method; for those interested, that makes for an average difference of little less than 4 points…


Let's now get to the description of the Attributes. Those who chose the Allocation Method will certainly want to know what the Attributes are about before they begin allocating points to each of them. There are nine Attributes and a maximum of ten points may be allocated to each single one, so that, to make it simple, Levels range from one to ten. Some actions require only a specific Attribute to be undertaken but generally, Characteristics will freely be combined to a Skill to undertake an action (see the chapter on the Gaming System for the details). 

Example
Berthomeu, a wishful Pirate, is a dashing young man. His Player, Peter, chooses the Random Method. He rolls therefore 9D20, one for each of Berthomeu's Attributes. He gets the following results: 16, 18, 2, 16, 7, 10, 8, 15, 19. Retaining only the unit number of each Roll and adding one, he gets, following the order of Attributes on his Pirate Sheet:



Nimbleness7


Got a Nerve!9


Look3


Constitution7


Dexterity8


Strength1


Cleverness9


Perception6


Power10

On the whole, one can truly say that Peter is a scurvy lucky dog! Particularly, the Nerve he's Got will make of him without a doubt an impetuous Pirate talking loud and big while being exceptionally gifted in Power will certainly open him one day the gates of Voodoo Crafts… However, Berthomeu is extremely weak; Peter thus decides to roll again the D20 for Strength. He gets that time a 6, which gives him a Level of 7 in Strength. His Character is truly predestined to become a great hero! (The jealous will always be able to say, of course, he could have been more handsome…)
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